The present invention relates to a pacifier holder or harness, and in particular to a stretchable retainer for yieldably biasing a pacifier gently into the mouth of a child.
It has been observed that small children often allow a pacifier to fall out of their mouths inadvertently onto the floor or other nearby surface. Not surprisingly, the child will begin to cry as soon as it loses its pacifier. A child could also be exposed to an unsanitary pacifier unless the pacifier is cleaned thoroughly after it is dropped and before it is returned to the child's mouth.
One object of the present invention is to provide a harness or other means for very gently and yieldably holding a pacifier in the mouth of a small child.
According to the present invention, a stretchable retainer is provided for yieldably biasing a pacifier into the mouth of a child. The stretchable retainer includes a one-piece, elongated, elastic strap having a stretchable anchoring member at each of its distal ends and a single, stretchable, pacifier-supporting strip interconnecting the anchoring members. Each anchoring member is formed to include an ear-receiving aperture configured to receive a child's ear therein so that each anchoring member can be quickly and easily attached to the child. Once in place the elastic strap stretches about the child's face to yieldably bias a pacifier coupled to the pacifier-supporting strip gently into the child's mouth.
In preferred embodiments, the one-piece, elongated, elastic strap is made of elastic sheet material such as a stretchable double-knit fabric. Illustratively, the pacifier coupled to the stretchable retainer includes a web formed to include two apertures arranged in spaced-apart relation and a nipple coupled to the web and situated between the two apertures. The elastic strap is threaded through both of the apertures to couple the pacifier to the pacifier-supporting strip and to arrange the two anchoring members in spaced-apart relation straddling the pacifier.
The elastic strap is made of a compressible material to permit one of the anchoring members to be compressed and passed through both of the apertures formed in the pacifier web. The elastic strap is thus threaded through said apertures to connect the pacifier web to the pacifier-supporting strip of the elastic strap.
Advantageously, the pacifier retainer of the present invention is made of a sheet material that is so flexible and stretchable that the pacifier could, if necessary, be removed by the infant or toddler without assistance. The stretchability of the pacifier retainer allows a small child to cry without gagging. A parent can carry the pacifier retainer anywhere conveniently because of its small size. Further, it is adaptable for use as a retainer with virtually any pacifier on the market because most pacifiers are already formed to include a pair of apertures on opposite sides of the nipple.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.